What High Risk Behaviors Affect Health Insurance?

When talking about health insurance, high risk behaviors play a factor in the rates that you pay. When you are riskier to insure than the normal person, it can affect the policies you can buy and the money you will have to pay. You may be forced to look at high risk health insurance plans. The following is a list of the most common risk factors:

Tobacco Use

Using tobacco is considered a high risk activity by health insurance providers. The use of tobacco exponentially increases the likelihood that you will be unhealthy as you get older. Smokers experience many different kinds of diseases including emphysema, lung cancer and heart problems. Chewing tobacco typically results in cancer of the mouth in many cases.

Anytime you experience any of these conditions, your insurance company will be required to pay large sums of money, on your behalf. Therefore, they want to make sure that they are protected. You will have to pay a higher premium or you may be disqualified because of it.

Drugs and Alcohol

Consistently engaging in drug and alcohol use will be viewed as a high risk activity. Drinking alcohol frequently can cause liver cancer and a number of other health problems. It also increases the likelihood of death or injury in a car accident. Drugs can cause many serious health problems and dependencies. If insurance companies know that you are addicted to drugs, they will be less likely to insure you as a result.

Thrill Seekers

There are a growing number of adrenaline junkies out there who are adding a dimension to the health insurance industry. Any thrill seeking activity could be considered high risk. Things like skydiving, bungee jumping, repelling, rock climbing, scuba diving and other activities increase your risk. Anything could go wrong during these activities and health insurers have to hedge their position with people in this category. If you engage in these activities, expect to pay a higher premium.

Sexually Active

While it is very common in today's society, being sexually active puts you at a higher risk. The number of sexually transmitted diseases out there is staggering and insurers are well aware of it. There is a large percentage of the public that have some sort of sexually transmitted disease and this can affect their overall health. Many sexually transmitted diseases are deadly or require a great deal of treatment. Treatment results in larger medical bills which could have been avoided with a little caution and practicing safe sex. If you engage in sex with multiple partners, you could be classified as high risk.

High Stress

Many people would fall into the category of high stress, but there are certain careers that are more stressful than others. If you are a member of any profession that regularly goes through stress, you could be at a higher risk. As a result of stress, stroke is possible, as well as a heart attack. Stress has been linked to cancer research and hundreds of conditions that can damage your health. If you are stressed most of the time, there is a great chance that your health will suffer because of it.

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